“Floating garage for billionaires”: What Wingman looks like, the $100 million ship that carries Mark Zuckerberg's luxury toys
Mark Zuckerberg's superyacht arrived in Seattle accompanied by a support vessel called the Wingman, an 80-foot craft that carries the Meta founder's luxury gear and vehicles, according to GeekWire.
The flagship Launchpad yacht, 118 meters long and worth an estimated $300 million, passed through the Ballard Locks and entered Lake Union, with the support vessel docked at the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal, the tech portal writes. This is visible from the Magnolia Bridge.
The Wingman, a $100 million vessel dubbed the “floating garage for billionaires,” is designed to transport essential toys at sea and in port, from helicopters to lifeboats and personal watercraft. To transfer them into the water, the ship uses an on-board crane.
Formerly known as U-81, the support vessel was built in 2022 by the Dutch company Damen Yachtbuilding. It can accommodate a crew of approximately 18 people and eight guests in four cabins.
A security guard at the terminal entrance confirmed to GeekWire that the Wingman arrived on Wednesday, while the Launchpad docked on Tuesday afternoon. Both of Mark Zuckerberg's vessels fly the flag of the Marshall Islands, a common registry for large yachts due to an attractive tax framework.
The craft has integrated into an area that usually accommodates large ships. Cyclists and pedestrians on the trail showed no curiosity about the Wingman, unlike the interest people show at Lake Union to admire the Launchpad.
It's unclear why Launchpad and Wingman are in Seattle this week, but their presence coincides with a period of layoffs that have affected Meta's nearly 1,400 regional employees. A crew member on the Launchpad indicated that the ship was not in town for the FIFA World Cup and intended to come and go.
